Shotgun sight



F. A. BARNES Aug. 9, 1966 SHOTGUN SIGHT Filed March 5, 1965 FZA/VK A. 5% M55 ATTORNEYS United States This invention relates to shotgun sights and particularly to an improved shotgun sight having a large wide portion that subtends a portion of the normal shot pattern. Specifically, this invention relates to improvements on the shotgun sight disclosed in my previous United States Patent 3,090,123.

As disclosed more fully in US. Patent 3,090,123, it has been found advantageous to provide a shotgun sight having a large Wide fiat top portion and a sloping portion extending from the fiat portion away from the muzzle. The purpose of the wide fiat portion is to give the shooter a quick estimate of the area covered by the shot pattern at normal ranges while the sloping portion aids in the collecting and reflecting of light to facilitate the proper pointing of the shotgun.

As a further elaboration upon the operation of a wide flat surface on a shotgun sight, it should first be noted that each shotgun makes its own individual pattern at any given range. Most gun companies use a target with a 30-inch diameter circle to count the shot therein and thereby determine the weapons pattern of effectiveness at 40 yards. Since the placement of any object, such as a wide sight, at a given distance from the eye will blot out a larger area at a greater distance to the target, it is seen that a given width sight indicates a given lateral area at a given range.

The width of the shotgun sight, the length of the barrel, and proper choke of the barrel are therefore correlated to indicate a given ratio of the 30-inch circle at a range of 40 yards. Selecting this ratio to be one-third, for example, the following approximated relationships occur at the indicated ranges.

While the structural features of the shotgun sight disclosed in United States Patent 3,090,123 have acted to facilitate more accurate shotgun shooting, it has been found that improvements may be made thereon.

In the sight disclosed in the aforementioned patent, the sloping portion intersected the flat portion such that thetwo portions formed a relatively smooth, uninterrupted surface with but one discontinuity therein. It has been found that in some instances the shooter tends to focus his vision upon the sight in order to differentiate the flat portion from the sloping portion. Since the focusing upon anything but the target is detrimental to accuracy in shotgun shooting, this tendency of the shooter to attempt to distinguish between the sloped portion and the flat portion has been found, in some cases, detrimental to accuracy.

Another difficulty of the average shotgun shooter is the tendency to cant or tilt the shotgun, which is also detrimental to accuracy. The instant invention tends to obviate these, and other, difiiculties by the instigation of a more or less subconscious, instantaneous recognition of the sighting area as distinguished from the light concentrating area, as will be more fully disclosed hereinafter.

An important object of the invention is, therefore, to

obviate the above and other difiiculties by providing a shotgun sight having a flat wide horizontal portion and a sloping portion with a distinct area of differentiation therebetween permitting the shooter readily to distinguish between these portions, thus enhancing accuracy.

Another object of the invention is to provide a means in association with a shotgun sight of this character that tends to prevent the canting of the gun.

A more detailed understanding of the invention may be obtained by a reading of the following detailed description with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of one form of sight incorporating the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation of the species of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 5 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevation of the species of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of yet another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 8 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE 7;

FIGURE 9 is a rear elevation of the species of FIG- URE 7;

FIGURE 10 is aside elevation of still another embodiment of this invention;

FIGURE 11 is a front elevation of the device of FIG- URE l0; and

FIGURE 12 is a rear elevation of the device of FIG- URE 10.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral 10 denotes a shotgun barrel onto which this invention is mounted.

Referring now particularly to the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1-3, the shotgun barrel 10 is provided with a threaded aperture 12 into which a threaded bolt 14 is engaged, thereby holding a replaceable sight, generally indicated at 16, in place. The sight 16 is curved on its undersurface 18 to provide a complementary fit with the shotgun barrel 10. Sight 16 comprises a flat wide top portion 20 having an aperture 22 therein for the reception of threaded bolt 14. As described in the aforementioned patent, the width of the sight acts to indicate to the firer the approximate area of the shot pattern at normal range.

I A stepped or terraced portion generally indicated at 24 IS comprised of a series of descending steps 26 which act to collect and reflect light, facilitating the firers recognizance of the sight and yet allowing the firer to focus his eyes at all times upon the target. An important feature of the terraced portion 24, particularly when compared with the sight disclosed in the aforementioned patent, is the creation of the series of generally horizontal lines 28 shown in FIGURE 3 in the line of sight of the person using the shotgun. Another important feature of the sloping portion 24 is that its highest point is spaced below the flat top portion 20. These characteristics individually provide a sight having a front block shaped portion including the flat top portion 20 and the area 21 between this portion and the top of the immediately adjacent step 26 that visually subtends a portion of the shot pattern at normal range and a rearward sloping portion 24 which gathers and collects light but which is distinguishable from the front block portion 21 without the inadvertent focusing of the vision upon the sight.

Another advantage of the terraced portion 24 is that it provides a series of substantially parallel lines 28 which, as shown in FIGURE 3, are in the line of sight of the shooter. It is generally known that most persons have a more or less subconscious awareness of and preference for a normally level surface. By this subconscious cognizance of the horizontal lines of the terraced portion 24 the tendency to cant the shotgun is lessened.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 4-6 a shotgun sight 30 is provided with an open ended frontwardly facing slot 32 to accommodate a pre-existing sight on the shotgun barrel 10. A threaded bolt 30 extends through an opening in a wide flat portion 36 corresponding to previously described portion 20 of the sight 30, and engages a threaded bore 38 formed in the pre-existing shotgun sight and barrel 10. A sloping portion 40, which has its highest point below the top of the flat portion 36, is provided for collecting and reflecting light as described above. Thus it is seen that this embodiment provides a multiplicity of horizontal lines 42 similar to those described in connection with the terraced portion 24.

Another embodiment is shown in FIGURES 7-9 wherein the barrel is provided with a replaceable sight 44 attached thereon in the manner described above. Sight 44 comprises a block 45 having a flat wide top portion 46 and a portion 48 sloping away from the muzzle of the shotgun and having its highest portion spaced below top portion 46. A strip of brightly colored material 50 is disposed in a horizontal manner immediately below the top of flat portion 46 and above the uppermost portion of the sloping area 48. Thu the horizontal brightly colored portion acts in much the same manner as the terraced portion 24 of the embodiment of FIGURES 1-3 both to distinguish between the sloped light gathering portion 48 and the square block portion 45.

In the embodiment of FIGURES 10-12 a shotgun sight 52 is aflixed to the shotgun barrel 10 in the same manner as that previously described. The sight 52 comprises a first square block portion 54 having a flat wide top portion 55 and a rearward sloping portion 56 which terminates in a rearwardly facing abutment 58. The upper surface of portion 56 is provided with a highly colored surface contrasting with flat top portion 55, As is apparent, the highly colored surface of portion 56 provides a readily visible means for distinguishing be- 4 tween the sloped portion 56 and the square block portion 54.

Thus it is seen that there is herein provided an improved shotgun sight fulfilling all the objects of the invention. The foregoing detailed description and drawings illustrate the invention by way of example only and it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereby but is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a shotgun barrel having a muzzle, a body secured to said barrel having a flat top substantially rectangular unobstructed surface of a width to subtend a width at normal range corresponding to approximately one third the diameter of a thirty-inch circle which is approximately the transverse diameter of a shotgun pattern at yards when projected to a target, said body having a normally vertical rear portion, and a downwardly and rearwardly descending portion of less width than said body, the uppermost point of said downwardly and rearwardly descending portion being disposed below and spaced from the top of said vertical rear portion of said fiat surface to define a vertical sighting face.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said sloping portion comprises a series of steps including normally horizontal surfaces and longitudinally spaced perpendicular sighting faces.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the rear exposed sighting face of said vertical rear portion above the uppermost portion of said sloping portion is at least partly highly colored.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein said highly colored area comprises a horizontal strip of highly colored material, extending across said exposed sighting face.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,982,038 11/1934 King 3347 2,007,437 7/1935 Wagner 42-1 2,030,312 2/1936 Mossberg 421 2,039,907 5/1936 Jefferson 3347 2,762,127 9/1956 Swett 3352 2,842,848 7/ 1958 Friedrichmeier 3352 3,090,123 5/1963 Barnes 3352 3,187,436 6/ 1965 Friedrichmeier 42-1 BENJAMIN BQRCI-IELT, Primary Examiner, 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SHOTGUN BARREL HAVING A MUZZLE, A BODY SECURED TO SAID BARREL HAVING A FLAT TOP SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR UNOBSTRUCTED SURFACE OF A WIDTH TO SUBTEND A WIDTH AT NORMAL RANGE CORRESPONDING TO APPROXIMATELY ONE THIRD THE DIAMETER OF A THIRTY-INCH CIRCLE WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY THE TRANSVERSE DIAMETER OF A SHOTGUN PATTERN AT 40 YARDS WHEN PROJECTED TO A TARGET, SAID BODY HAVING A NORMALLY VERTICAL REAR PORTION, AND A DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY DESCENDING PORTION OF LESS WIDTH THAN SAID BODY, THE UPPERMOST POINT OF SAID DONWARDLY AND REARWARDLY DESCENDING PORTION BEING DISPOSED BELOW AND SPACED FROM THE TOP OF SAID VERTICAL REAR PORTION OF SAID FLAT SURFACE TO DEFINE A VERTICAL SIGHTING FACE. 